Soak Up the Sun
by DarkDreamer56
Summary: NS Sara and the guys spend a day at the beach. A response to EquestrianBabe's Fun in the Sun Challenge!


Title: Soak Up the Sun  
Author: DarkDreamer56  
Archive: If you want it, ask please!  
Rating: T  
Pairing: N/S  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like to play with them and return them (mostly) unharmed…  
Spoilers: eh, none really, just some minor allusions to Grave Danger

A/N: This is in response to Emily's (EquestrianBabe) Fun in the Sun challenge at the Snickers group on yahoo, and is dedicated to her. I hope you feel better chica!

* * *

With the warm sun pounding down on her skin, and the sound of water in front of her, Sara could almost pretend that she was back on the beach in California. Except this beach was a little more rock than sand and the expansive blue ocean had been replaced by the man made body of water known as Lake Mead. Still, Boulder Beach had a charm all its own, and Sara sighed in contentment as she dropped her stuff before spreading out her towel. 

She, along with Greg, Nick, and Warrick, had decided to take a break from Vegas, and had miraculously secured an entire weekend away from the lab. Not wanting to spend most of their precious time locked in a car together however, limited their options. They had finally decided to visit Boulder City and spend the weekend at the beach and surrounding nightlife. It wasn't the California coastline, but it would definitely do.

Sara smirked as she kicked her flip flops to one side and shimmied out of her shorts, before settling down on her towel. Nick, Greg, and Warrick had darted out of the car before she had really parked, leaving her a couple minutes behind them. She laughed at their childish behavior, realizing that it was what this weekend was all about: having fun and leaving all the trauma of the past year behind them. She found their pile of shoes, towels, and shirts, and then spotted the three of them diving into the water before she was halfway across the beach. She regarded each one of them carefully; Greg certainly wasn't as scrawny as he appeared to be, Warrick could make any woman drool, and Nick…well seeing him shirtless and wet had occupied more than one of her fantasies over the years.

Sara was just pulling her tank top over her head, preparing to settle in with several back issues of Cosmo and work on her practically non existent tan, when she heard a low whistle. Looking up, the guys were walking towards her, the expressions on their faces appreciative.

"You know Warrick, I think it's a shame that we've worked with Sara for nearly five years, and this is the first time we're seeing her in a bikini," Nick teased once they were within hearing distance of Sara. She rolled her eyes, but knew her face had already taken on a pinkish hue. She had picked out the blue, green, and yellow print halter style top with matching boy shorts, knowing that it flattered her, and she was secretly pleased that the guys agreed.

Nick threw down his towel on one side of her, spreading it out and plopping down in the middle on his back, giving Sara a nice view of his six pack and pecks.

"Yeah, I'm still waiting for Greggo to pick his jaw up off the sand," Warrick quipped, throwing his towel down next to Nick's, while Greg settled on the other side of Sara with his own towel.

"Come on guys…it's just a bathing suit," Sara shot back with a grin.

"But you look damn good in it Sar," Nick replied. "Then again, you'd look good in a day glow pink bikini with neon yellow polka dots."

Sara wrinkled her nose. "No one looks good in day glow pink."

"You know Sara, if you need any help applying your sun lotion…" Greg started, only half teasing.

"Sorry Greg, I already put it on at the hotel. You should really apply it a half hour before sun exposure."

"There's our girl," Warrick mumbled as Nick reached into Sara's bag to pull out his sunglasses. Sara rolled her eyes again and pulled a Cosmo out of her bag, before rolling onto her stomach and laying out across the towel. It was going to be a long weekend.

Forty five minutes later, Sara was already through one of her magazines, and partway through another, when she realized she should probably turn over before she started to burn. As she rolled over to her back, she assessed the surroundings. Warrick had moved down the beach a bit, chatting up some blond who had nearly tripped over him the last time she walked by. Sara couldn't help but laugh at the lame pick up attempt, even though Warrick seemed to bite hook, line, and sinker. Beside her, Nick was snoring lightly, and she briefly toyed with the idea of waking him up so he didn't burn too. She gave him a once over, realizing his olive complexion could probably stand a little more time in the sun before she had to wake him. What puzzled her was seeing that Greg had moved from his spot on the other side of her, and was now kneeling in the sand where Nick's feet had once been; now it seemed they were buried underneath a few inches of the sand/stone combination.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed before she realized that she was speaking. She shot up from her towel as Greg looked up at her innocently.

"What?"

"Greg, stop it!"

"He's asleep, he doesn't care…"

"But when he wakes up, he sure as hell will."

"Come on Sar, lighten up. What problem would Nick have with me burying his feet in the…oh," Greg whispered quietly. Sara's expression softened as Greg realized the larger implications. "I…I didn't think…"

"Hey, it's okay. Just…unbury him before he wakes up. This weekend is supposed to be fun."

Greg unceremoniously pulled Nick's legs up one at a time; Sara had to stifle the urge to laugh. Apparently Nick had regained the ability to sleep through just about anything.

Soon after, Greg wandered off down the beach and Sara laid back down, contemplating what to do next. She hadn't really thought of the tan lines that the halter top would produce when she bought the suit, and she realized with a sigh that they would look pretty bad with most of the tank tops she owned. So she either had to deal with the tan lines that the halter top would provide, or risk it and undo the straps, praying that Greg didn't get any funny ideas.

"Hey, we said no thinking about work this weekend," Nick said, bringing Sara out of her thoughts. She looked over, noticing that Nick was awake and turned on his side towards her, propped up on one of his elbows.

"Huh?" she asked, dazed.

"You look pretty lost in thought there. We said no work, remember?"

"Oh," she replied, smiling at him, "I'm just debating…"

"Anything I can help with?"

Sara shook her head, feeling herself begin to blush already. "Nah, I'm just trying to figure out if it's safe, to…uh, well, I don't want tan lines.

A smile spread across Nick's face as he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Well, I sure as hell wouldn't mind, and I'm sure Greg wouldn't, but there are some impressionable teens down there…" he teased.

"Strap lines," she clarified, rolling her eyes. Nick laughed. "But that requires me to trust you guys."

Sara watched Nick muster what he must have thought was his most innocent look. She was sure her face reflected the skepticism she was feeling inside.

"Come on Sar, I'll make sure Greg doesn't try anything funny. I'll even make sure no one startles you into sitting up."

Sara regarded him for a moment, and then smiled. She trusted Nick to keep his word, and she really didn't want those pesky tan lines. She reached up and untied the top, carefully rolling the straps and tucking them in just below the neckline. She flipped her sunglasses over her eyes and settled in to even out her tan.

"Thanks Nick, I owe you one."

"How about you help me out tonight?"

Sara turned her head, carefully, to face him, quirking an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you want me to help you?"

Nick chuckled. "Nothing funny, unless of course, you're offering. I was just thinking…Warrick, Greg, and I are sharing one tiny room, and you've got that other room all to yourself…" He gave her his best puppy dog look.

"So you do want to sleep with me then…" Sara teased lightly.

"Well, better you than Greg," Nick shot back with a grin.

Though in the back of her mind, Sara thought that it might not be the best idea in the world to share a room with her very attractive co-worker, she reasoned that there were two beds, and there was really no reason for the three of them to have to share. And if she happened to see him shirtless again, well that would just be icing on the cake.

"Okay. But the deal is off if you don't protect me from Greg. I'll make sure you suffer…" she warned teasingly. Still, if she ended up flashing anyone, Nick would certainly pay.

"Oh, I'm real afraid Sidle." Sara raised her eyebrows, trying to force back a grin. She had missed the playful flirting between herself and Nick over the past year; it was nice to know that it was still there, and as easy to slip back into as her favorite pair of jeans.

"I'd watch it if I were you…you'll never know what hit you…" Nick's eyebrows rose to meet hers, as if to challenge her statement. "What? I had an older brother…I know how to hold my own."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Nick replied, chuckling softly. "I bet you gave him hell."

"Like you were any better, _Nicky_," Sara retorted with a giggle.

Silence descended over them as Nick shifted to his stomach. Sara closed her eyes, figuring she had about another twenty minutes before she had to reapply her sunscreen. She was about to fall asleep when Nick's voice gently interrupted.

"So what's the worst thing you ever did to your brother?"

Sara thought for a moment. Things had been pretty tumultuous in her house growing up, but when they were younger, Sara and her brother Eric had always gotten along; probably out of survival more than anything, but they had a pretty good relationship. Still, as all siblings, they had their moments.

"We were visiting some relatives, a distant aunt or something, and we were out on her boat. She was pointing out some of the landmarks, and then Eric pushed me, and I tripped, and before I knew it, I went overboard, shoes and all. Sulked the whole way back to the dock."

"You? Sulk? I never would have thought…" Nick teased.

Sara responded with a glare, and then continued. "Well, when we got back to the dock, he decided to go swimming while I went to go change. My mom gave me some sunscreen to take back down with me…but when I got there, he had fallen asleep. So…I took the sunscreen, and I wrote _loser_ across his back in big letters, and let him sleep. When he woke up awhile later, he had the worst sunburn, except for where I'd applied the sunscreen…he peeled for days…"

Beside her, Nick was chuckling. "You were a devious little girl, weren't you?"

Sara smirked. "Damn straight. So I suggest you watch it."

"I'll be sure to do that," Nick replied with a chuckle, reaching over to her towel and grabbing one of her magazines. "I never figured you for a Cosmo kind of girl…"

Sara watched him flip absentmindedly through the pages. "It isn't so bad, and sometimes they have interesting articles."

Nick scoffed. "What could you possibly learn from an issue of Cosmo that you didn't already know?"

Sara gave him what she thought to be her more innocent smile. "That graham crackers and corn flakes were created to help curb sex drive in the 1800's." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nick's eyes widen and she could almost swear she saw a blush creeping up his cheeks; she had obviously given him an answer he wasn't expecting. He didn't respond; he only threw the magazine back into the pile and laid his head over his crossed arms.

Sara closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the sun wash over her. She was lying out in the sun, on the closest she could get to the beach, engaging in a little harmless flirtation with one of her best friends.

* * *

The next thing Sara knew, someone was gently shaking her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to turn to see who it was, when a strong arm reached over and held her in place. 

"I appreciate the fact that you want to flash me, but Greg's on his way back, and I think he'd be jealous," Nick teased. "Later though, if you still want to…"

Sara rolled her eyes and smacked the arm that was still holding her down. "Thanks for making sure I didn't move. How long was I asleep?" she asked, unsuccessfully trying to suppress a yawn.

"About a half hour. I figured it was about time for some more sunscreen," Nick replied, reaching over into Sara's bag and searching for her bottle of sunscreen while she retied the straps to her top.

"Did I miss something?" Greg asked, appearing in front of them and dropping unceremoniously down onto his towel, looking much wetter than he had when he left.

"Yeah, Nick and I just had sex. Right here on the towel." Sara focused all her energy on keeping a serious, matter-of-fact expression on her face. Meanwhile, Nick had turned his head, trying desperately not to burst into laughter. "A little more sandy that I usually care for, but overall, very satisfying. What? You weren't here Greg." She bit her lip to keep from laughing, but Nick was unable to control his laughter.

"Man," he choked out, wiping away tears, "the look on your face…Warrick's gonna be pissed he missed this…"

"That was so not funny," Greg grumbled, but the smile on his face told Sara that he wasn't all that mad.

"So where'd you disappear to Greggo?" Nick inquired, reclining back on his towel, tossing Sara the bottle of sunscreen. She opened the bottle, taking a liberal amount before spreading it over her stomach, chest, and appendages.

"Eh, I decided to take a little walk…met a hottie down the beach a little ways. Her name is Allie, and we're going out tonight." Sara didn't miss the way his smile widened when he said her name.

"And Allie is friends with Jenna, so apparently we'll be joining you," Warrick added, surprising everyone by his return.

"I take it Jenna is the girl you met?" Nick asked, quirking an eyebrow until Warrick nodded. "So where are you guys going?"

"Some karaoke bar downtown. You guys are more than welcome to come too."

Memories of the last time they went to a karaoke bar invaded Sara's mind, and she couldn't help but laugh. "I think I'll have to pass."

The guys looked at her curiously. Greg decided to ask the question they were all thinking. "Why?"

"I have the memory of the three of you drunkenly trying to sing _We Didn't Start the Fire _burned indelibly into my brain. Emphasis on _trying_. No thank you."

The guys grinned at each other sheepishly as Sara pulled herself up from the towel and headed towards the water. It felt cool against her skin as she waded in to her waist, deciding to spend a few minutes cooling off before going back to her magazines. She cupped some water into her hands, letting it drip down her fingers as she relished the thought of just being. She didn't have to worry about work, or her past, or anything else but making sure that she remembered to put some sunscreen on her back before she burnt. It was a freeing feeling that she hadn't felt in quite awhile.

Sara was contemplating how much further she wanted to wade in when she felt a giant wave of water hit her from behind. Turning around, she noticed Greg closing in on her too late, and he put his hands on her waist before pushing her forward, causing her to lose her balance and fall under water. She came up, sputtering several seconds later.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that," she growled, pouncing at him and pushing him backwards into the water. She smiled a triumphant smile when Greg went underwater, noticing Warrick and Nick taking a break from their own wrestling to laugh at Greg. Eventually Greg decided to go after Warrick instead, and Sara, not being able to resist laughing at the obvious futility of Greg trying to dunk Warrick, didn't notice Nick sneak up behind her until he had picked her up and thrown her back into the water in one fluid motion. The next few minutes were spent trying to dunk each other underwater.

It wasn't until they took a break to catch their breath that Sara noticed what a compromising position they appeared to be in. Nick had his hands planted firmly on her hips, trying to pull her under, and her hands were splayed out against his chest, trying to push him back into the water. Sara looked up into his eyes, realizing exactly how close they were to each other, and surprised by the look in Nick's eyes. It was a look Sara usually only saw at the end of a very good date, right before she decided if he was going to get an invite in or not. She found herself closing her eyes and licking her lips in anticipation, but right at the moment when Nick was leaning down towards her, Greg shouted, "Okay, mercy!" and effectively ruined the moment.

Sara's eyes flew open, and she saw the disappointment flicker across Nick's face before he gave her an apologetic smile and released her from his grip. Sara smiled back a little shyly.

"You should have known better than to take on Warrick," Sara called, still a little breathless. She started back towards the towels, watching Nick roll his eyes in amusement and wondered what the hell had just happened.

She made her way back to the towels, with the guys a few steps behind her. She laid down on her stomach, intent on tanning a little more and figuring out when exactly she had become okay with the idea of Nick kissing her. It wasn't that she wasn't attracted to him; Nick was what any woman would consider hot, and they had hit it off almost immediately. Friendly flirtation had been a part of their repertoire since she had come to Vegas. And it wasn't that she had never considered the idea of what it would be like to date him; even with her Grissom obsession, Sara had wondered about what it would be like to date the other men she worked with. She supposed it was a hazard of working with Nick, Warrick, and even Greg. They were all attractive, but even better, they were all good men; something that Sara hadn't had much luck in finding even when she got to Vegas.

The more she thought about it, the more Sara realized that there never really was a point where she would have minded. So now she just had to figure out what the _almost_ part of _almost kissed_ meant. She sighed, thinking back to just a half hour earlier when she was basking in the feeling of having no worries.

The most recent cause of her worries dropped down onto his towel next to her, causing the butterflies in Sara's stomach to flutter. She heard Warrick and Greg announce that they were going to find Jenna and Allie, and soon Nick and Sara were alone again. They stared at each other, wide eyed with nervous grins on their lips for several minutes after. Nick was finally the first one to break the silence.

"You're going to burn," he said quietly, "if you don't get some more sunscreen on your back.

"My arms don't quite bend that way," Sara explained, but Nick had already sat up and opened the bottle, pouring a small amount into his hand. Before she knew it, his hand was on her back, massaging the lotion onto her skin.

Sara wasn't able to stop the small sigh of contentment that escaped her lips as Nick's hand made contact with her skin. She felt herself blush seconds later. It wouldn't be wise to think about exactly how good his hand felt until she was sure what was going on. Sara started to babble to fill up the awkward silence.

"You know, if you want to wander down the beach yourself…I'll be fine here. Maybe Allie and Jenna have another friend…You could triple with Warrick and Greg…"

"What if I told you that I'm happy right where I am, with the girl right here?" Nick asked softly. His hand continued to rub her back, though Sara was certain that all of the lotion was rubbed in.

She turned over carefully, aware of Nick's hand grazing her stomach as she did so. She studied his eyes, once again noticing the look of desire and suddenly wondered why it had taken them so long to get to this point.

"Then I'd say that I'm happy with where you are right now too," she whispered, watching him lean down again, his eyes locked on hers.

This time it was a loud crack of thunder that interrupted them, followed by several more spectacular displays of lightning. As they looked at each other, the tension between them melted away. Nick began to laugh, and Sara couldn't help but giggle.

"Our timing sucks today, doesn't it?"

Sara nodded and sat up, reaching for her bag and throwing her stuff back into it. From the looks of the clouds rolling in, they had better hurry if they wanted to get to the car before the downpour started. She smirked at Nick as he stood up and shook out his towel, before doing the same with Greg's and Warrick's.

"But we've got all weekend to improve it."

Nick chuckled at her statement, holding out a hand to help her up off the towel as Greg and Warrick came jogging down the beach.

On their way back to the hotel, Warrick drove, debating with Greg the correct way to get to the hotel Allie and Jenna were staying at.

"So, with this…" Nick whispered into Sara's ear, carefully gesturing between the two of them, "Is it okay…I mean, I'd understand if you didn't feel comfortable sharing…"

Sara cut him off with a smile. "Yeah, it's okay." She bit her lip, trying to figure out the best way to phrase the next thought. "But, I don't know…let's just see what…"

This time Nick was the one to cut her off. "Hey, this just happened. I haven't even kissed you yet, and there are two beds…"

An hour later, Sara emerged from the bathroom of the hotel room, having already showered, washed her hair, and changed into a sundress. Nick shot past her with a smile, promising to be out in ten minutes. They had decided to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant a few miles away, and then take a stroll along the marina outside of their hotel. Sara settled onto one of the beds, lying back against the pillows as she listened to the water run in the shower. She was very aware of the fact that Nick was only one room away, wet and completely naked. She mentally smacked herself for thinking like that, when they hadn't even kissed yet, but the images in her head were just too overpowering.

She wasn't sure she could trust herself not to do anything foolish in the next couple of minutes, so she hastily stood up and grabbed the ice bucket. Hopefully by the time she got back, Nick would be out and dressed, and then they could go out to dinner and have a proper date.

"Hey Sar, where're you going?" Nick asked, emerging from the bathroom, clad only in a pair of black pants. Sara turned, taking in every inch of his well muscled chest. Sure, she had been staring at it all day, but for some reason, the sight of him standing in her hotel room, with a towel around his neck and his hair still wet did her in. Dropping the ice bucket at her feet, she crossed the room quickly, deciding that nothing was going to interrupt them this time. Her lips crashed down on his before he knew what was happening, and soon his hands were around her waist as she snaked hers around his neck, pulling him closer. He begged her to deepen the kiss and she readily complied as she felt his hands begin to roam. Soon they became a little more adventurous, and it wasn't long before his pants and her dressed dropped to the floor almost simultaneously as they made their way to the bed.

Awhile later, Sara looked around at the pile of clothes on the floor. She was snuggled underneath the comforter, listening to the rain pounding against the windows and the steadiness of Nick's breathing underneath her cheek. His grip around her waist tightened as his other hand began to play across her abdomen.

"Well, it looks like we wouldn't have been able to go down to the marina anyway," he murmured into her hair. "You hungry?"

Sara was sure the grin on her face was permanently etched there; at least for the next few weeks. "Yeah, a little bit…we could still go out…" Sara had no intention of leaving the bed anytime soon.

"Or we could stay in," Nick offered with a smile, trailing his hand lightly across her hip. "I hear room service is pretty good…"

"Oh, you did, did you?" Sara was trying hard to concentrate on the conversation, but Nick's hands were now working deftly at short circuiting her brain.

Nick nodded and rolled her towards him, his lips hovering just inches above hers.

"Just stay away from the graham crackers…"

Sara giggled against his lips, but soon both of them were too busy to care about room service. It was definitely going to be a good weekend.

FIN.


End file.
